1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide guide device for a press. More specifically, the present invention relates to a slide guide device that guides a slide
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a press includes a slide. A copper alloy liner serves as a slide surface. The press includes an iron gib disposed on a frame opposite the slide surface. During operation, the liner and the gib slide against each other to guide the slide along the frame.
Clearance between the liner and its facing gib is approximately 5/100 mm. Typically, a lubricating oil lubricates the sliding surfaces. The lubricating oil forms an oil membrane between the liner and the gib to minimize friction and wear.
Unfortunately, eccentric forces frequently occur in the press. These eccentric forces force the liner and gib to form xe2x80x98line contacts.xe2x80x99 Line contacts occur when failure of the lubricating oil membrane permits direct sliding contact to occur. Direct contact wears and scorches the sliding surfaces and increases the mechanical resistance to be overcome by the press motor. If not remedied, the line contacts cause motor failure and costly equipment damage.
Additionally, the clearance required to maintain an oil membrane is detrimental to high-precision goals. In particular with large high-precision presses with eccentric loads, the large slides maximize pressure with resulting detrimental line contacts. Conventionally, this detrimental effect is partially ameliorated through use of xe2x80x9ctwo-pointxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfour-pointxe2x80x9d press designs.
xe2x80x9cTwo-pointxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfour-pointxe2x80x9d presses require costly precision construction. Production of precision parts is difficult, costly, and time consuming. Ultimately, no matter how precise the construction, eccentric loads may still cause line contacts between the liner and the gib.
The applicant""s previously filed Japanese patent application number 2000-193782 partially overcomes this difficulty using a spherical surface block and a gib sliding against each other along a liner that has a V-shaped sliding surface. Unfortunately, aligning the V shape of the spherical surface block and the gib is difficult. Despite this design, ultimately during high loads the V-shaped surface of the spherical surface block spreads, causing damaging contact, costly repair and downtime.
An object of the present invention is to provide a slide guide device for a press that overcomes the problems and difficulties described above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device which improves uniform contact along each sliding surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device which improves pressing precision and accuracy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device which compensates for eccentric forces during pressing and eliminates eccentric contact between each sliding surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device that employs a gib structure using a rotatable element to maintain uniform contact between each sliding surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device that is easily adjustable to set and fix an optimum gap between sliding surfaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device which compensates for both lateral and eccentric loads during pressing operations and allows for simple assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide guide device which has the foregoing features and capabilities.
The present invention relates to a slide guide device for a press which guides a slide in a cycle. The slide guide device eliminates misalignment caused by eccentric forces and prevents eccentric contact between the slide and a gib. The slide includes at least a first spherical shoe having at least a first guide surface. The gib includes at least a first sliding surface opposite the first guide surface. During operation, the spherical shoe rotates relative to the slide to ensure close alignment between the first guide surface and the sliding surface. A wedge supporting the gib allows rapid and easy alignment with the slide.
According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, comprising: a slide, at least a first cavity on a first side of the slide, at least a first interface element, first means for rotatably retaining the first interface element in the first cavity, at least a first contact surface on the first interface element, at least a first gib opposite the slide and the first cavity, at least a first slide surface on the first gib, and first means for rotatably aligning the first contact surface with the first slide surface guiding and aligning the slide with the first gib during a cycle, thereby preventing an eccentric slide misalignment during the cycle and increasing press precision.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a second cavity on a second side the slide, at least a second interface element, second means for rotatably retaining the second interface element in the second cavity, at least a second contact surface on the second interface element, at least a second gib opposite the slide and the second cavity, at least a second slide surface on the second gib, and second means for rotatably aligning the second contact surface with the second slide surface guiding and aligning the slide with the second gib during the cycle, thereby preventing the eccentric slide misalignment and increasing the press precision.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a first clearance between the first contact surface and the first slide surface, at least a second clearance between the second contact surface and the second slide surface, and means for slidably adjusting and fixing the first and the second clearance and retaining each respective the first and the second clearance at a selected optimum clearance thereby maintaining alignment of the slide easily guiding the slide in the cycle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the means for slidably adjusting and fixing includes the first gib, the first gib has at least a first wedge shape, at least a first support element in the means for slidably adjusting and fixing, the first support element between the first gib and a frame of the press machine, the first support element has a second wedge shape, the second wedge shape complementary to the first wedge shape, the first support element adjustable along the frame and fixable relative to the first gib and the frame, and the means for slidably adjusting and fixing effective to slide the first support element relative to the first gib and the frame, create the optimum clearance, and fix the first and the second clearance at the optimum clearance, whereby the slide easily maintains the optimum clearance during the cycle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the at least first contact surface and the at least first slide surface are flat, the at least second contact surface and the at least second slide surface are flat, the first slide surface at a first angle to an axis of the slide, the axis extending linearly from the first gib, through the slide, to the second gib, and the second slide surface at a second angle to the axis of the slide.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the first slide surface is perpendicular to the axis, and the second slide surface is perpendicular to the axis.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a third cavity on the first side of the slide, at least a third interface element, the first means for rotatably retaining also rotatably retaining the third interface element in the third cavity, at least a third contact surface on the third interface element, the first gib opposite the first and the third cavity, at least a third slide surface on the first gib, and the first means for rotatably aligning also rotatably aligning the third contact surface with the third slide surface during the cycle, thereby preventing the eccentric slide misalignment and a lateral slide misalignment during the cycle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a fourth cavity on the second side of the slide, at least a fourth interface element, the second means for rotatably retaining also rotatably retaining the fourth interface element in the fourth cavity, at least a fourth contact surface on the fourth interface element, the second gib opposite the second and the third cavity, at least a fourth slide surface on the second gib, and the second means for rotatably aligning also rotatably aligning the fourth contact surface with the fourth slide surface during the cycle, thereby preventing the eccentric slide misalignment and the lateral slide misalignment during the cycle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a third clearance between the third contact surface and the third slide surface, at least a fourth clearance between the fourth contact surface and the fourth slide surface, and means for slidably adjusting and fixing including means for slidably adjusting and fixing the third and the fourth clearance and retaining each respective the third and the fourth clearance at the selected optimum clearance thereby maintaining alignment of the slide in the cycle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the at least third contact surface and the at least third slide surface are flat, the at least fourth contact surface and the at least fourth slide surface are flat, the first slide surface and the third slide surface at a third angle to the axis of the slide, and the second slide surface and the fourth slide surface at a fourth angle to the axis of the slide.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the third angle is a first acute angle, and the fourth angle is a second acute angle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the third angle is a first obtuse angle, and the fourth angle is a second obtuse angle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the first contact surface is at a first 120-degree angle to the third contact surface, and the second contact surface is at a second 120-degree angle to the fourth contact surface.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the first and the second 120-degree angles project away from the slide along the axis.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the first and the second 120-degree angles project toward the slide along the axis.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, further comprising: at least a fifth contact surface on the first interface element, the first contact surface at a third obtuse angle to the fifth contact surface, at least a sixth contact surface on the second interface element, the second contact surface at a fourth obtuse angle to the sixth contact surface, a fifth slide surface on the first gib opposite the fifth contact surface, a sixth slide surface on the second gib opposite the sixth contact surface, the first means for rotatably aligning also including means for simultaneously and rotatably aligning the fifth contact surface with the fifth slide surface, and the second means for rotatably aligning also including means for simultaneously and rotatably aligning the sixth contact surface with the sixth slide surface.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a slide guide device for a press machine, wherein: the third obtuse angle is 120 degrees, and the fourth obtuse angle is 120 degrees.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.